Best Queen Mattress
There’s a reason queen size mattresses are so popular. They’re spacious enough for two people to sleep comfortably, yet compact enough for a single sleeper to justify. They can accommodate nighttime visits from young kids, and they’ll give you a little extra wiggle room if your dogs or cats like to hog the bed.
Since so many people favor queen size mattresses, there’s a bevy of choices available on the market today. Are you thinking of investing in your first queen mattress, or looking to replace an old favorite? We’ll share some of our top picks and discuss everything you need to know about finding the best queen mattress based on your individual sleeping style, comfort preferences, and other factors.
Nectar Lush Mattress
- 365-night Home Trial
- Forever Warranty
- Free Shipping & Returns
- Free accessory with every mattress
- 12” height - 5 layers of premium foam
- The coolest sleep with maximum airflow
Tuft And Needle Queen Mattress
Casper Sleep Essential Mattress Queen
Zinus ICoil Queen Mattress
How to Choose a Queen Mattress
The best queen size mattress for your situation will depend largely on whether you’re sleeping alone or sharing the bed. We’ll discuss factors like noise, motion isolation, edge support, and other things to consider when sleeping with a partner. We’ll also explore the benefits and drawbacks of different mattress types, and what kind of mattress suits each type of sleeper.
What to Look for in a Mattress
With so many beds on the market, the mattress industry is full of obscure, misleading, and confusing marketing terms. However, arming yourself with a little basic knowledge about how a mattress works can help you sift through most of this language and find the mattress that best meets your needs. The following are some of the most important elements to consider when choosing a mattress.
Price
Price is the first thing most shoppers look at, and it’s an easy way to narrow down the field of choices. The good news is that comfortable mattresses come in virtually every price-point, so no matter your budget, you should be able to find a mattress that adapts to your sleeping style. Since queen size mattresses are considered the standard, it’s easy to compare and contrast prices to make sure you’re getting the best queen mattress for your money.
Sleeping Position
Side sleepers can experience pressure build-up at the hips and shoulders, while stomach sleepers and back sleepers can suffer from back pain if a mattress isn’t supportive enough. Thus, choosing a softer mattress for side sleepers and a firmer mattress for back and stomach sleepers will usually lead to a more comfortable sleep. If your sleeping partner tends to adopt a different sleeping position, you may agree to compromise on a more neutral feel.
Mattress Type
Almost all mattresses on the market today fall into one of five categories: all-foam, latex, hybrid, innerspring, or airbed. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and the best mattress type for you will depend on your specific needs.
Contouring
Close-contouring mattresses alleviate pressure points and can contribute to proper spinal alignment, especially in side sleepers. However, mattresses with deep contouring and a slow response to pressure may also restrict movement and lead to the feeling of being trapped in the bed.
Quality Materials
The foams, latex, springs, and other components used to make a mattress vary greatly in quality. Better-quality materials often cost more, but they provide superior support and comfort relief. They also tend to last longer than inferior materials before they start to sag or develop permanent body indentations.
Firmness Level
Mattress firmness is typically rated on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the firmest. The majority of sleepers prefer a mattress that falls between a 5 and a 7, as this offers the best balance of support and pressure relief. As a general rule, side sleepers and lighter individuals prefer plusher mattresses with more pressure relief. Stomach sleepers and heavier individuals prefer firmer mattresses that prevent the hips from sinking, while back sleepers and those between 130 and 230 pounds prefer something in between.
Pressure Relief
No matter how supportive, a mattress with zero cushioning likely won’t provide the comfortable surface you need to drift off to sleep. That’s why most mattresses feature softer materials such as memory foam, latex, or wool in the top layers. Pressure relief is particularly important for side sleepers, where the sensitive hips and shoulders take the brunt of the weight.
Edge Support
Many mattresses lack support around the perimeter, which can be a problem for those who regularly sleep near the edge of the bed. If you plan to share your queen size mattress with a sleeping partner, buying a mattress with strong edge support will make it possible to use your entire half of the bed instead of forcing you and your partner to crowd toward the middle.
Temperature Regulation
Certain mattress materials are known to trap heat, leading to an uncomfortably warm sleep surface. If you or your partner sleep hot, look for mattresses made with breathable materials that allow room for airflow. Hybrid, innerspring, and latex mattresses tend to perform best at temperature regulation. If you prefer all-foam mattresses, look for models that feature cooling technology such as gel beads or phase-change material.
Noise
Whether sleeping alone or with a partner, sensitive sleepers appreciate mattresses that don’t make noise when bearing weight. If you find yourself waking up to every squeak and creak on your old innerspring, it might be time to try a quieter all-foam or latex mattress.
Who Is Best Suited to a Queen Mattress?
Queen mattresses have been standard in the mattress industry ever since the 1950s. At 60 by 80 inches, a queen mattress is roomier than a full size mattress (54 by 74 inches), but it doesn’t take up as much space as a king size mattress (76 by 80 inches). A queen size mattress is ideal for one or two sleepers, or for taller people who find a full size mattress too short.
Though rare, you may also come across alternate queen sizes such as Olympic (66 by 80 inches) or split queen (two beds, each one 30 by 80 inches).
Single Adults: Many of us outgrow our twin size beds as we reach adulthood, and for some, a full size mattress may feel a little cramped. A queen size mattress allows ample room to sleep comfortably. While we recommend avoiding non-sleep activities in bed, many people also find that their roomy queen mattress is the ideal spot to carry out activities like reading, watching television, or just hanging out.
Couples: A queen size mattress is the perfect compromise for couples who like sharing a bed and who value cuddling and sex, but who also need their own space to fall asleep. Couples may want to choose a mattress that’s quiet and able to absorb motion to reduce nighttime disturbances. Strong edges are also a plus, as they allow each partner to spread out without fears of falling off the bed.
Teenagers: Teenagers may need more room than a twin size mattress can provide. If you’re buying a mattress for a teen that’s still growing, a flippable model with different firmness levels may be better able to accommodate changes in body weight. Invest in a good queen size mattress, and your teen may be able to take it with them when they move out.
What Type of Mattress Is Best for a Queen?
Virtually every mattress on the market can be categorized as one of the types listed below. Mattresses of a given type tend to share some characteristics, but they also vary dramatically depending on the particular design and materials used. Nonetheless, knowing what features you value the most in a mattress may help guide you to a specific type.
Hybrid
Definition: Hybrid mattresses have a thick comfort section coupled with an innerspring support core. The comfort layers can be made of polyfoam, memory foam, latex, micro-coils, or other pressure-relieving materials. The support core is usually made with pocketed coils in order to reduce motion transfer and provide targeted support.
Highlight: A Fair Compromise. Hybrid mattresses offer a balanced feel for couples with differing comfort preferences. Additionally, due to the coil layer, they tend to have strong edge support that enables full use of the bed’s surface area.
Innerspring
Definition:Innerspring mattresses feature a support core made of innerspring coils. Some innerspring mattresses may also have a thin comfort layer.
Highlight: Budget-Friendly Option. Innerspring mattresses are an economical choice, and they make a good starting point for people who wish to customize the feel of their mattress. It’s also possible for each sleeper to personalize their side of the bed with a custom mattress topper.
Latex
Definition:Popular with eco-conscious shoppers, natural latex is made from the milky-white liquid of the rubber tree. All-latex mattresses generally feature firmer latex in the support layers and pressure-relieving latex in the comfort layers. Latex can be processed in one of two ways, Talalay or Dunlop, with Talalay usually offering a fluffier, more consistent feel.
Highlight: Ease of Movement. In general, latex offers moderate conforming that helps relieve pressure and absorb motion transfer without overly restricting movement. Latex is also naturally breathable, which helps reduce heat build-up when sharing the bed with a partner.
Airbed
Definition: The core of an airbed mattress consists of an air chamber controlled by a remote control or a smartphone app. Inflating the air chamber makes the bed feel firmer, while deflating it makes it feel plusher. Most airbeds also have one or more comfort layers to provide extra cushioning.
Highlight: Customized Firmness. The primary benefit of airbeds is the ability to set a precise firmness level and adjust it according to your immediate needs. Most queen airbed mattresses have the option to set a different firmness level for each side of the bed.
Foam
Definition: All-foam mattresses are typically made with a high-density polyfoam support core and one or more memory foam, polyfoam, or latex comfort layers.
Highlight: Motion Isolation. Couples often opt for all-foam mattresses because they’re quiet and they excel at absorbing motion. This minimizes the chances of waking up every time a sleeping partner shifts positions or gets in and out of bed. All-foam mattresses also tend to provide above-average pressure relief, making them well-suited to side sleepers.
